Chapter 10
Sword King (1)
‘Am I kneeling right now?’
His pupils trembled, and his vision blurred.
Namgung Jin staggered to his feet with a dazed look in his eyes.
He had grown up never knowing hardship in his life.
As the heir of the Namgung family, he had been praised as perfect in every way and had arrived at this moment with that reputation.
But what was this sight before him now?
‘I am the pillar of the Namgung family. If I lose to a branch family member, it will forever be a disgrace to my clan.’
As he thought this, visions of people pointing fingers at him appeared before his eyes.
Startled, Namgung Jin flinched.
This was the first time he had ever felt the sting of defeat, and it had allowed his inner demon to surface, making him see these illusions.
‘I… I am the heir of the Namgung family.’
Unable to overcome the visions, Namgung Jin’s focus faltered. Suddenly, he gripped his sword with both hands and assumed a formation stance.
“Th-That formation stance?”
“No way…”
Some members of the Namgung family watched in shock.
The stance Namgung Jin had taken was the Emperor Sword Form (帝王劍形), a technique only the head of the Namgung family could master.
Wooooooosh!
A tremendous surge of sword energy erupted from Namgung Jin.
‘Th-This pressure… it’s enormous.’
Namgung Hyuk faced the pressure head-on, unable to move a muscle.
Unaware that the force he faced was the power of the Emperor Sword Form, he drew upon his vital energy to resist it.
Step by step, Namgung Jin advanced toward Namgung Hyuk.
The look in his eyes, consumed by his inner demon, was like that of a beast.
‘That gaze… he’s not normal.’
Namgung Hyuk realized that Namgung Jin was far from himself and needed to be stopped.
But with every step Namgung Jin took, the oppressive force intensified, making it nearly impossible to even move a finger.
“Ghhhhh!”
Namgung Hyuk forced his energy to rise, resisting the overwhelming pressure.
He coughed up blood again, but now was not the time to care about that.
Just as the sword above him was about to fall, he finally overcame the pressure enough to move his hands.
But then!
“Stop!”
A deep, commanding voice echoed across the training ground.
The sword that had been falling just above Namgung Hyuk’s head suddenly froze.
To everyone’s surprise, Namgung Hwang, who had been on the pavilion, appeared beside the two and grabbed Namgung Jin’s wrist.
“Return.”
Namgung Hwang channeled his calm internal energy into Namgung Jin’s hand, restoring his gaze to its usual clarity.
“G-Grandfather…”
“It’s done.”
Namgung Jin looked frightened, like a child who had committed a grave mistake.
Meanwhile, Namgung Hyuk could not take his eyes off Namgung Hwang, who had appeared in front of him.
‘I didn’t think the family head would intervene personally. Thanks to that, the worst-case scenario was avoided.’
Here, Namgung Hyuk’s idea of the worst-case scenario wasn’t his own death.
At the very moment Namgung Jin was about to strike, Namgung Hyuk would have unleashed the Ten Divine Sword Techniques (신무십검).
If that had happened, Namgung Jin would most likely have been the one to die.
Though Namgung Hyuk would have sustained injuries far worse than before, it was still fortunate that events didn’t escalate to that extent.
‘Then… who will be declared the winner?’
Since Namgung Hwang had intervened before the match concluded, deciding the winner was no longer straightforward.
The spectators murmured anxiously.
“My apologies to everyone. I had no choice but to step in to prevent the children from being harmed.”
Namgung Hwang spoke with a deep, resonant voice, audible to everyone in the stands.
The murmuring gradually subsided.
Who could argue when the head of the Namgung family spoke?
“I have judged that continuing the match is impossible. Instead, as the head of the Namgung family, I will decide the winner of this tournament.”
As the tension settled, Namgung Hwang continued.
Who would he choose as the victor? Namgung Hyuk waited calmly for the announcement, while Namgung Jin looked visibly uneasy.
“The winner of this Azure Sky Festival is… Namgung Hyuk.”
To everyone’s astonishment, Namgung Hwang declared Namgung Hyuk, not his own grandson, as the winner.
This was an unprecedented upset in the history of the Azure Sky Festival.
‘Hoo.’
Moyong Hu smiled, intrigued.
Even when Namgung Jin had executed the Emperor Sword Form, he had been shocked beyond words.
For two years, he had nursed his pride, confident he had surpassed Namgung Jin.
Yet, unexpectedly, Namgung Jin had mastered the ultimate secret of the Namgung family: the Emperor Sword Form.
‘Even though I’ve mastered the family’s secret Heavenly Might Martial Art, facing Namgung Jin would have made victory uncertain.’
Even though Namgung Hyuk’s win was by judgment rather than outright combat, it was not something to take lightly.
‘Namgung Hyuk, huh… quite annoying.’
Moyong Hu’s gaze at Namgung Hyuk briefly took on a cunning edge.
Meanwhile, Jegal Lin, sitting some distance away, had watched the match from start to finish.
‘Based on information alone, the heir of the Namgung family had a high probability of winning.’
Her analysis had never been wrong, making this outcome truly surprising.
Jegal Lin could not take her eyes off Namgung Hyuk, who had been cheered by the crowd.
‘Is this really all the secrets he’s been hiding?’
Her curiosity about him deepened.
Perhaps that was why she felt a flutter of excitement she had never experienced before.
“Heh, this Azure Sky Festival ended with a very interesting result.”
On the roof of a tall pavilion five blocks away from the training ground, an elderly man in blue stood precariously.
He pressed his flowing beard down against the wind and left a meaningful remark before disappearing silently.
The Azure Sky Festival concluded with a stir.
That evening, a grand banquet was held.
Namgung Hyuk, as the winner of the tournament, naturally attended.
“I am Hwangbo Min of the Hwangbo family.”
“Nice to meet you. I am Peng Soyeon from the Hebei Peng family.”
Other prominent young masters from the Six Great Families introduced themselves in turn.
Having never experienced such attention before, Namgung Hyuk smiled politely to avoid awkwardness.
“It is an honor to meet such renowned young masters of the martial world.”
His humility left a strong impression on them.
Soon, they bombarded him with questions.
“Did you really devise that high-level sword technique yourself?”
“Did you have a master who specially taught you your martial art?”
Though they seemed like casual curiosities, they were actually trying to gather as much information as possible.
Namgung Hyuk had been warned beforehand and remained careful in his responses.
“Pleased to meet you. I am Moyong Hu.”
Moyong Hu approached casually and greeted him. Namgung Hyuk recognized him immediately.
‘Moyong Hu, one of the Six Divine Dragons, the Meteor Sword Dragon. This is my first close encounter with him.’
He had glimpsed Moyong Hu before when the Dragon Phoenix Society visited Namgung’s estate but knew he would be unaware of that memory.
“Pleased to meet you, Moyong Hu.” Namgung Hyuk bowed slightly.
Moyong Hu returned the bow.
“Congratulations on winning the Azure Sky Festival.”
“Thank you.”
“I did not expect the Namgung family to harbor such a talented rising master.”
“My skill is not yet enough to be called great.”
“Haha! Despite being from a branch family, you defeated the heir of the Namgung family and remain humble.”
Namgung Hyuk’s expression tightened slightly at the mention of the branch family.
Until the festival, almost nothing was known about him. Yet Moyong Hu discovered his status in under half a day.
“By the way, Namgung Jin isn’t at the banquet. I intended to console him.”
Moyong Hu inquired about Namgung Jin, who, due to aftereffects of his inner demon during the match, could not attend.
‘Is he saying this on purpose?’
The incident of the heir succumbing briefly to his inner demon had been kept secret, officially attributed to injuries from forcing the incomplete Emperor Sword Form.
Yet Moyong Hu spoke as if he knew otherwise.
“Could you convey this to him?”
“What is it?”
“Tell him, as his rival, I hope he overcomes this trial well.”
Namgung Hyuk stiffened slightly at Moyong Hu’s cryptic smile.
Moyong Hu left a distinct impression on him before departing.
Shortly after Moyong Hu left, Namgung Hyuk found a way to slip away from the young masters.
‘Ugh, answering all these trivial questions is exhausting.’
He wanted to leave immediately but could not, being the guest of honor.
He sought a secluded spot while scanning for someone in particular.
‘Could it be she didn’t come to the banquet?’
Namgung Hyuk was looking for Jegal Lin.
He wanted to personally honor his promise to speak with her that night after leaving seclusion training.
‘I’m not trying to show off, but I hoped to see her face once more.’
Seeing no sign of her, he felt a pang of disappointment.
He walked outside for some fresh air.
There, Jegal Lin sat on a railing, gazing at the crescent moon in the night sky.
“Jegal, you’re here.”
“…Congratulations on your victory.”
She responded slightly late, backlit by the moonlight, resembling a celestial maiden under the moon.
‘Back in youth again… why does my heart race so?’
Her pale, flawless skin, distinct features, and sharp, intelligent eyes drew him in completely.
Namgung Hyuk tried to maintain composure.
“Your support helped me win.”
“I only said a word. Your skill was what won the match.”
“I’m glad you say so.”
“Did you recover from your injuries during the match?”
“…They were not serious.”
The injuries sustained during the day’s match had almost healed naturally. His awakening had enhanced his recovery greatly.
‘Normally, minor wounds would heal quickly anyway, but internal energy amplified it tremendously.’
He spoke again to continue the conversation.
“Jegal, aren’t you curious about me? The other young masters showed quite an interest.”
“…I don’t care where your martial arts came from.”
“Then, what is it that interests you about me?”
“That is…”
At that moment,
“You’re here.”
Chief Namgung Do appeared at the perfect moment and spoke.
